Page 11 of Kane

Chapter Ten

Erin

“Sleep well?” He asked, setting the tray on the bedside table.

“Er… yeah I really did. Oh god, did I snore?” I felt the heat rise on my face, and then a cold realisation that I was still naked – he must have put the covers around us!

“No, no snoring, you slept beautifully. No snoring, no talking in your sleep and I don’t think you even drooled.”

Relief flooded over me, “Well, thank god for that… Kane, I meant what I said last night: I don’t do this.”

“Hey babe, it’s ok. I’m not judging you, last night was amazing.”

The silence that grew between us was comfortable; we both knew this was only going to be a one night thing. “Yeah, you, Kane are… wow. That was… yeah, I’m speechless.”

“Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I have to go. I’ve ordered breakfast for you, take your time. Eat, shower, stay and watch TV if you want but I have to meet my brother this morning. He’s insisting that since I’m in town that I visit my dad with him.”

“Well, that’s a good thing, surely? But I do get it, my sister, Lauren, is a real nightmare. I’ll not stay long though, got a family thing of my own later to go to.”

“Families, eh?” he spoke as he retrieved some trainers, sitting on the edge of the bed as he put them on. “Apparently dad’s new relationship is getting serious and she wants to meet me, so she’s pushing him and Robbie’s trying to push me.”

“Say no more,” I knew exactly how that felt, Lauren always played the orphans-need-to-stick-together card with me. “My sister almost guilt tripped me into going to some charity event last night in the Royale.”

Reaching for another shirt he replied casually, “Well you would have met my dad then instead of me, he organised it.”

Suddenly I felt a little queasy; my stranger might be better known that I had planned. “Really? I might know him then, is he a friend of Karl?”

Ashen, his face dropped, “How do you know Karl?”

“Fuck, how do you know him too? He’s dating my sister.”

He shook his head ruefully, “He’s my dad.”

I felt the blood drain from my face and pool in my legs. What the hell had I done? Kane was Karl’s son? His dad was dating my sister – what did that make him, my nephew? “How could something that had been so fantastic be so very, very wrong?”

Kane

The room was silent until I heard the flush of the en suite toilet and Erin came back into the room. “Look, it’s ok. This was a beautiful, amazing, one-night thing.” I gestured for her to sit on the bed beside me, hoping that the colour would return to her face. Dad was one for the younger ladies, I’d always known that… maybe Erin’s sister was twenty years older than her?

“Yeah, you’re right. But what if they find out?”

“Who’s gonna tell them?” I asked. The last person I’d ever discuss my sex life was with my Dad. “It’s not like they’ve been together long, or we grew up together or anything.” I stretched, rubbing my hand over my chin – I couldn’t quite believe my own ears as I spoke. “Listen, I’m in town for a few more nights… maybe…”

“I knew the score from the start; you don’t have to let me down gently.” She smiled. “Besides, aren’t we kind of… family now?” she said with a queasy look on her face.

I thought about that. “Your sister is dating my dad, and from what my brother says, it’s only a very, very recent thing. No disrespect to Lauren, but dad’s a bit of a player and his dates move on kinda quickly – I know that’s creepy ‘cos it’s your sister, but he’s no settle-down kind of guy.” I put a reassuring hand on hers to stop her shying further away from me on the bed.

For the first time since we realised our families were connected, we both let out the breath it seemed we’d both been holding. She took one look at me and I watched as the realization hit her. “Teacher my ass, you’re mafia.”

“I don’t seem to remember that making a difference last night.” I wouldn’t be judged – especially about something as important to me as my job, something I was great at, something I was proud of.

Her cheeks flushed and she gritted her teeth. “It makes all the difference.”

Regret coursed through me. “So you’re too good to fuck a bad guy, then?” I spat. I lifted the gun that I kept under the corner of the mattress and pushed it into the back of my jeans. It was time to leave this hotel room without a trace. “Too good for a guy who earns more with one job than you would in a year?”

I took her silence to be some sort of female strop, but when I looked at her, her head hung on her shoulders and they bobbed as she shed silent tears. I left my packing but at a complete loss for words, I said the only thing I thought would help. “Sorry, that was a low blow – even for me.”

She turned her back to me further and a small voice replied. “It’s not the mafia bit that’s my issue – it’s how easily I wanted to believe your teaching story…” she turned to look me over, “As if you’re built any way like a teacher.” She reached for the tissue box on the bedside cabinet. “How come I’ve never heard Lauren mention you? She talks about Declan all the time. Please at least tell me he’s your younger brother.”

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